If you think Garth Brooks is the Victoria's Secret male range or you still chuckle at the old Van der Merwe joke about his two favourite types of music being country and western, then either avoid this soundtrack or wake up to the popularity of "New Country".

This, the soundtrack to the new Sandra Bullock movie, once again (as with 'The Horse Whisperer') acts as a sampler of the biggest names in US country music alongside tracks by the Rolling Stones (a cover of the Jimmy Reed classic, 'Honest I Do'), Sheryl Crow (her self-penned 'In Need') and Bob Seger ('Chances Are').

Garth "Bigger Than Elvis" Brooks opens proceedings with a nod to Bob, by covering 'To Make You Feel My Love', a song off Dylan's recent 'Time Out Of Mind' album. He is ably supported by the Mavericks with the stirring 'All I Get', Jonell Mosser doing 'Stop In The Name Of Love (or 'Stop In The Neighbourhood', as we used to call it), and 'Whither, I'm A Flower' by new country rockers Whiskeytown. Lyle Lovett, having some Julia Roberts flashbacks, adds an unconvincing version of the Charlie Chaplin classic 'Smile'.

Although Harry Connick Jr stars as Bullock's new romantic "Hope", he doesn't get to do any of his Sinatra impressions here. The mood is country throughout and new country artists like Gillian Welch, Trisha Yearwood, Lila McCann and Deanna Carter get to add their voices to this collection. Yearwood closes the album with her version of 'To Make You Feel My Love', a song so appropriate to the movie, apparently, that they had to do it twice.

As with most soundtracks, this album will sound more relevant and familiar after sitting through this movie. However, if you are tired of grunge, techno, and rock in general, either rethink your situation or latch onto this CD and discover the joys of country. Soon, you too will be singing "My dog ran off with my girlfriend's guitar, ooh wah ooh wah". To me this is just a load of Bullocks!

Stephen "Sugar" Segerman

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Any thoughts, requests, problems, complaints, praise or interesting and relevant SA music news, please email it immediately to: sugar@cd.co.za